FOSTORIA — Jacob Edwards had his wife and four children up well before dawn to camp out at the gate to see the Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy steam locomotive during its open-house visit on Tuesday.

At 4 a.m., they were fourth in line.

By 8 a.m., when Norfolk Southern opened the gates to its automotive terminal in Seneca County’s Jackson Township an hour early to accommodate the crowd, cars of eager onlookers were backed up about a mile or so in all directions.

“We wanted to make sure we had an opportunity to see it,” Mr. Edwards explained. “We got here early enough that we got some of the good pictures before the crowds set in.”

Being among the first in also allowed Mr. Edwards and his wife, Brandi, daughter, Maci, and sons, Joseph, Elliott, and Roger, also to be among the first out, so they could get back to their Rockwood, Tenn., home by day’s end.

Thousands of people came from near and far to see the world’s largest operating steam locomotive during the longest Ohio stop of its cross-country trip to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday.

The 1.2-million-pound, wartime engine is on its way back to its Cheyenne, Wyo., home base after visiting Philadelphia for Independence Day. It is scheduled to leave Fostoria at 9 a.m. Wednesday for a leg to Fort Wayne, Ind., followed by Chicago on Thursday.

But while previous Ohio stops on its itinerary lasted no longer than about half an hour, the Big Boy spent all of Tuesday at the NS railyard, where tents were set up to provide shade under 90-degree heat and free water was available to keep people hydrated to the extent possible.

Among those with a shorter trip was John Mayer, a railroad conductor from Walbridge, Ohio, who waited with his 4-year-old son, Eli, to get an autograph from Ed Dickens, who as Union Pacific’s senior director of heritage operations is the Big Boy’s engineer.

“Most people see trains and think, ‘Oh no, I’m going to be waiting for an hour,’” Mr. Mayer said. “It’s just beautiful to see the good side of the railroad, and how the railroads built this country.”

Like many others in the crowd, Mr. Mayer waited in traffic for more than an hour to get in to see the engine.

During an address to the crowd, Mr. Dickens said Fostoria was not originally planned to be a major stop on the Big Boy tour. Once it was added, he flew across the country to visit the Norfolk Southern terminal to identify anything needed there to accommodate the big engine.

Norfolk Southern made a few track tweaks, he said, to ensure there would be no problems.

After his comments and a crowd-questions period, Mr. Dickens and other crew members signed autographs, many of them on Big Boy Tour postcards handed out at one of several tents handing out swag bags, railroad safety information, and the like.

Joe Pinto, of Celina, Ohio, was there with two Big Boy models of different scales for which Mr. Dickens autographed the boxes. Mr. Pinto said he had reached the engineer on social media beforehand to confirm that plan.

“This was my game plan, to get Ed to sign these,” he said after describing the steam engine’s visit as a “once in a lifetime event.”

The steam engine is pulling a train that includes a main tender for its oil fuel, two auxiliary tenders for water, five diesel locomotives that Mr. Dickens said are mostly for display but also provide startup assistance in the morning and braking assistance when needed, and 16 passenger cars.

Twelve of the latter belong to Union Pacific and include an exhibit car that attendees could walk through, while four were added by Norfolk Southern for the portion of the train’s journey east of Chicago.

Matt Kindle, Jr., 10, of Loudonville, Ohio, said he got a pin from one of the train crew and a tour of another car in the train that has a raised glass dome for panoramic views from the seats beneath it.

His father, Matt Kindle, Sr., said he started contemplating about how to see the Big Boy even before the eastern schedule for its 7,000-mile tour was announced in late April, given that its route to the East Coast almost certainly would cross Ohio.

“There are not a lot of ways to get from Chicago to Philadelphia,” the father remarked.

Mr. Edwards said he planned the Big Boy visit as the final stop on a multi-day vacation north, but kept it as a surprise for his children — especially Elliott and Roger, twins who turn 5 on Wednesday.

“I didn’t tell them where we were going until I knew I had gotten in,” he confessed.

Along with Mr. Dickens, several other crew members addressed the crowd, including Bob Smetana, an onboard car inspector who as the crew’s only Ohio native led a brief "O-H, I-O" cheer.

Mr. Dickens closed that portion of the program with a plea to anyone planning to see the locomotive when it’s out running to stand back 25 feet from the tracks. The engine’s tour has included some scares with people standing on or perilously close to the tracks.

The schedule Wednesday includes a half-hour stop, from 11:30 a.m. until noon, in the Putnam County village of Contienental, Ohio, where the Big Boy made a similar stop June 6 during its eastward journey. The route it will use also goes through Arcadia, McComb, Leipsic, Miller City, Oakwood, Broughton, and Payne, Ohio.

Among those expecting to watch the Big Boy in action Wednesday are Michael and Susan Brown, of Westerville, Ohio, who camped at nearby Van Buren State Park with Mrs. Brown’s brother, Don Springer, of Chardon, Ohio.

“All the campers at Van Buren State Park are here for this,” Mrs. Brown said before noting that many of her and her husband's ancestors worked for railroads.

“It’s great so far. There’s plenty of room, and plenty of water,” she said at mid-morning.

The Big Boy, Mr. Springer said, “almost takes your breath away. It’s amazing.”

Check back for updates.

COLUMBUS — Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday received the endorsement of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee.

“Ohio has built tremendous economic momentum, but maintaining that success will require bold leadership and a continued commitment to policies that encourage growth and opportunity,” Ohio Chamber President and CEO Steve Stivers said Tuesday.

“Vivek Ramaswamy has articulated a vision that would strengthen Ohio’s competitiveness through pro-growth tax policies, energy development, and work force readiness,” Mr. Stivers said. “His entrepreneurial background and dedication to creating an environment where businesses can thrive make him well-positioned to lead Ohio into its next chapter of economic success.”

Members of the Ohio Chamber announced the endorsement at Kimball Midwest, a Columbus-based distributor of industrial supplies. The business leaders were joined by Mr. Ramaswamy and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley (R., Napoleon).

Mr. Ramaswamy said he is grateful for the endorsement.

“I look forward to working with business leaders across our state to take Ohio’s economic growth to the next level and to bring high-paying jobs to our state,” he said. 

Check back for updates. 

Half of a house was hoisted more than 20 feet in the air on Independence Road in Toledo on Tuesday. 

Crews with Ritz-Craft, a local modular home company, then used a crane to lower the home onto its foundation. 

That marked the first time the Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity has used such a home in its mission against homelessness, said Erin McPartland, executive director of the nonprofit. 

Habitat staff and volunteers, as well as community stakeholders, clapped and cheered “Move that house!” during a program celebrating the installation of the modular home, with the second half arriving later in the morning. 

“We think that this will help us add on two to three homes a year,” Ms. McPartland said. “We’re hoping to be able to go up to seven [to] eight homes a year by adding on the modular [homes].” 

The home on Independence Road was built in just 10 days, Ms. McPartland said.  

Ms. McPartland and David Stogsdill, construction director for Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, said there isn’t much more work to be done on it. 

Each module includes finished walls, a kitchen with cabinets, countertops, and built-in electrical hookups, and a bathroom with toilets, sinks, and a shower. Plumbing and water lines also are installed, Mr. Stogsdill said. 

“It’s built with the same materials we normally use, so it appreciates; it improves with the neighborhood,” Mr. Stogsdill said. “The build cycle is so much shorter that we could do more with the same amount of people. The same number of volunteers, the same number of staff, we could do more for the community because we’re able to order it and physically go watch it get built in 10 days and then delivered and lifted in place. Once they’re done, we’ll be done in just a matter of a few weeks.”

Ms. McPartland said Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity expects the home to be completely finished in a month or two. 

Mr. Stogsdill said volunteers still have to install doors and connect plumbing and water lines, an HVAC system, and lights. 

Both halves of the home were connected on Tuesday, and volunteers are set to do the finishing touches, Ms. McPartland said. 

The first half that was delivered will hold the bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen, Mr. Stogsdill said. The second will contain the garage. 

Stephen Oleszkowicz, regional sales manager for Ritz-Craft, said though modular homes are somewhat on the rise, they’re still a relatively small percentage of homes in the country. 

In his experience, it takes a lot of people time to be comfortable with the idea of living in a modular home, Mr. Oleszkowicz said. 

He said they are well-built, require no upfront construction financing, and are more convenient for contractors. 

“Some of the hardest things they’re running into is skilled labor,” Mr. Oleszkowicz said. “They can’t find it. They need it. They’ve got tight timelines. They can’t find a way to grow their business with the systems they have in place. By mixing us into their types of builds and their opportunities and stepping into the modular world gives them an opportunity to grow their business and scale.”

Ms. McPartland said there won’t be any more modular homes used by Habitat for the rest of the year, but she hopes to use them more “as soon as next year,” she said. 

“For nearly four decades, this ministry has brought people together to build homes and community and hope,” Mr. Stogsdill said. “We’ve watched foundations poured and walls raised and roofs raised by thousands of volunteers who gave their time to change the life of [a] family. Today, we’re still building hope, but we’re just simply doing it in a new way.” 

Oregon Mayor Steven Salander says there should be no industrial development east of Wynn Road and north of Corduroy Road.

The future land-use designation was included in an update of the city’s comprehensive master plan, approved by council in March. It was significant enough to underscore its importance in a proclamation read by the mayor at a council meeting this week.

“The comprehensive master plan reflects the community’s intentions for where and how Oregon should grow through 2035,” Mr. Salander said Monday. “A key component of the master plan is a future land-use map, which outlines how land should be developed and provides clear direction for aligning the Oregon zoning code with the community’s long-term land-use vision.”

The future land-use plan emphasizes the need to protect agricultural lands and natural areas, ensuring development enhances rather than diminishes the community’s identity and growth, Mr. Salander said. 

“The master plan for future land use designates the land east of Wynn Road as land for a suburban cluster to be used for attached and detached single-family and multifamily homes. The city will continue to follow the recommendations of Oregon’s master plan for all land, including the parcels east of Wynn Road and north of Corduroy Road,” he said.

He made proclamation in response to the previous administration’s desire for a second data center to be located east of Wynn Road, Mr. Salander said. 

“There’s been talk over the last year of a potential data center in the land I’m speaking of. We have had a committee of city people, citizens, and stakeholders in Oregon come together to work on the master plan and how we as a community, not we as a government, want our city to be developed,” he said.

“I promise I will follow the way the community wants to see Oregon,” Mr. Salander said. The audience, which filled council chambers, burst into applause.

A proposed $2 billion data center that would be located at the northwest corner of Wynn and Corduroy roads has had considerable opposition from the community out of concerns of possible utility rate hikes, noise, and environmental impacts. It was a central issue of the mayor’s race in November. 

Mr. Salander, who is opposed to data centers, defeated former Mayor Mike Seferian, who supported it. The main draw, according to Mr. Seferian, is that the data center would add another $20 million to the $20 million in annual revenue the city collects from its 2.25-percent payroll income tax.

Also at the meeting, members of a group opposed to the planned data center, United Neighbors of Oregon, announced they want to place a charter amendment on the November ballot to stop it.

“We have always believed that a decision of this importance should be made by the citizens of Oregon, not by politicians who can be influenced by self-serving economic development officials,” said Jim Davis from United Neighbors of Oregon. “Therefore, we have decided to start gathering signatures from eligible voters in Oregon to put a charter amendment proposal on the ballot.” 

Laura Davis, also from the group, said they must collect at least 1,700 valid signatures, which is 10 percent of registered voters in Oregon, by Aug. 5, the deadline to get it on the November ballot. 

The first signing event is Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Oregon Community Room in the municipal building, 5330 Seaman Rd., Mrs. Davis said. After 4:30 p.m., signatures will be gathered outside the building until 7:30 p.m. 

Mr. Salander gave an update on the data center, saying he received an email earlier Monday from Will Turner of Capacity LLC, the developer, requesting a meeting to discuss the project.

“We haven’t set the appointment date yet, but we’re looking at July 28 and hopefully have the end user be a part of that. I don’t yet know who the end user is. As soon as I know, I’ll let you know,” Mr. Salander said. 

Council also approved submitting a 0.5-mill, five-year senior levy for the November ballot. If passed, it would collect $375,943 annually to help fund the senior center, according to Nick Roman, finance director. It would cost $18 annually for every $100,000 of a home’s assessed property value.

REPUBLIC, Ohio — The Seneca County Sheriff’s Office has released body-worn camera video of a portion of the July 7 shooting that killed a Bloomville, Ohio, man.

Jeffrey R. Sergent, 43, of Bloomville, was shot and killed by law enforcement as he attempted to escape officers who were trying to arrest him on felony charges, according to Seneca County Sheriff Fredrick W. Stevens.

Two deputies and an officer from the village of Bloomville stopped Sergent about 10:15 a.m., Sheriff Stevens said. The officers blocked in Sergent’s truck near the intersection of Scipio Township Road 8 and State Rt. 67 using police cruisers and guardrails on either side of the road.

Officers then told him he was under arrest and spent 10 minutes negotiating with him to get out of his vehicle, the sheriff said.

In a statement released Monday evening, the sheriff said he “felt it was necessary to publish a second press release ... to address misinformation circulating in our community.”

According to Sheriff Stevens, his office reviewed the body camera footage and redacted “private information from the videos in accordance with Marsy’s Law.”

“The Deputies and the Bloomville officer were, by law, victims of crime in the incident, and personal information had to be manually redacted from the evidence before it was eligible to be viewed,” he said.

Initially the sheriff said Sergent pulled several knives out of his pocket during the negotiations, rolled his windows up, and refused to speak to officers. 

The video released Monday shows an agitated Sergent in his truck with the windows up yelling at officers next to the truck “you’re going to make it worse, please don’t make it worse, please don’t” while refusing to roll down his windows or exit the truck. 

Moments later, when an officer tells him “we gotta break it” and uses a tool to break the driver’s side window, Sergent curses, puts the truck into reverse, and backs up quickly while turning, crashing into one of the guardrails. 

After the truck comes to rest against the guardrail, at least one officer appears to be in front of the pickup. When Sergent puts the truck in drive and accelerates, gunfire erupts.

About eight shots can be heard.  

“Deputies were standing on both sides of Sergent’s vehicle during the arrest attempt, never in front of it,” Sheriff Stevens said. “When he put the vehicle in motion, the Deputies were forced to move to avoid being hit, which then placed some of them in front of the vehicle.”

According to the Sheriff, other “popping sounds” that can be heard on the video include the noise of deputies breaking the windows and then the sound of the vehicle striking the guardrail. After that, gunfire can be heard, followed by the sound of the engine backfiring repeatedly after the pickup crashed into a cruiser, he said.

Sheriff Stevens said the video also refutes claims circulating online that deputies had their guns drawn while negotiating with Sergent. He said deputies drew their weapons only after Sergent reversed, struck the guardrail, and drove toward them.

“He put their lives at risk by attempting to escape instead of simply complying. The deputies drew their weapons and fired only when their lives and the lives of their fellow officers were in danger, as the video clip clearly shows,” the sheriff said.

Sheriff Stevens said Sergent's prior criminal history — including an interaction with deputies in 2018 in which he was convicted for assaulting a deputy and attempting to take the deputy’s gun during an arrest for domestic violence — also influenced officers’ decisions on July 7.

The incident is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a division of the Office of the Ohio Attorney General.

Dominic Brinkley, press secretary for Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, said the investigation remains ongoing and declined further comment.

Harbor Walk for Hope, which aims to spread mental health awareness and reduce stigma, will be held Saturday at the Glass City Metropark. 

Participants can choose to walk a one-mile route, which begins near the Ribbon. The event also features activity stations, skating, music, and back-to-school giveaways, organizers said.

Attendees can visit activity tables and collect tickets to enter the giveaway raffles.

The walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1521 Front St., rain or shine. 

The Neighbor to Neighbor initiative is offering a free public workshop on empowering young leaders on Saturday at the Sanger Branch Library.

Kami Blakeman, a Sylvania school counselor, will lead a session for parents and teachers on how to build positive skills, confidence, and healthy relationships in children. 

The program runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the library, 3030 Central Ave.

It’s free to attend, but registration is required at neighbor2neighbortoledo.com.

Neighbor to Neighbor was launched in 2024 by St. Michael’s in the Hills Episcopal Church to promote peace through community activities.

BOWLING GREEN — A petition drive has been started by people who don’t want to see Meta’s footprint grow another 32 acres for its future hyperscale data center along State Rt. 582 in Wood County’s Middleton Township.

Leslie Harper doesn’t live in Middleton Township. But the Whitehouse resident said she is working with others to gather enough signatures for Middleton Township voters to decide this fall if they want to overturn last week’s 2-1 vote by trustees there.

The board’s vote, which goes against what the township’s zoning commission recommended, allows 13 parcels totaling 31.82 acres to be rezoned as light industrial for Liames LLC on behalf of Meta. The parcels are near State Rt. 25, Mercer Road, and State Rt. 582.

Trustees Fred Vetter and Mike Moulton voted in favor of the rezoning.

Trustee Melissa Petrea cast the lone dissenting vote.

“Where is this land grab going to stop?” Ms. Harper asked. “Now that we’re seeing construction of [the data center], people are really getting scared.”

Ms. Harper is leading a grassroots effort to overturn the July 7 vote, taken at a meeting attended by 50 people.

Resident Mark Patton said he knows of at least six other parcels Meta or one of the companies working for it has purchased.

He lives in Middleton Township near the Meta site, in a home along Devil’s Hole Road, where he and his wife have lived since 1995.

“They’re going to pick us apart,” Mr. Patton said. “That’s probably their plan.”

Ms. Harper acknowledged that her plan to overturn the decision faces an uphill battle.

But she and others have begun assembling a group of volunteers in hopes of gathering enough signatures to have the issue appear on the Wood County ballot in November. 

She said the group needs 971 valid signatures. They’re trying to get at least 1,300, she said, expecting some to be invalidated.

Ms. Harper cited myriad concerns about the Meta project including potential water pollution, air pollution, and impact on property values.

A Meta spokesman familiar with the Middleton Township project, Kash Ayodele, did not respond to a request for comment.

Ms. Harper said she believes Waterville, Waterville Township, Whitehouse, and Perrysburg Township are facing development pressure from the hyperscale data center industry.

“This land grab, we don’t know where it’s going to stop and how it’s going to tie into each other,” she said. “It’s coming at us from all different directions.”

Ms. Petrea said she voted against the rezoning request after listening to what residents said at meetings held by the Wood County Planning Commission and the Middleton Township Zoning Board.

“We heard testimony from dozens of residents in opposition to the rezoning. Furthermore, our township zoning board, whose members are much closer to this project, voted unanimously to recommend denial of the rezoning request,” she said.

Mr. Vettter and Mr. Moulton did not respond to requests for comment.

Ms. Petrea said it is clear to her that “from a resident standpoint, this project is massive, and they have many valid concerns regarding safety and well-being, which is the fundamental purpose of zoning laws under the Ohio Revised Code.”

“Combined with the overwhelming resident opposition, the unanimous decision of our local zoning board made it clear that a permanent rezoning was not necessary,” she said.

An East Toledo woman pleaded guilty Monday morning to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide for a Dec. 27 impaired-driving crash that killed two people.

Aja Minor, 24, of the 1400 block of Holmes Street, faces up to 16 years in prison from Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ian English, who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 14.

Minor also pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both. Time for that conviction will statutorily be served concurrently, whereas it will be up to the judge how to sentence Minor for the felonies.

She remained free on bond pending sentencing.

Nancy Murphy, 58, and Mark Murphy 70, both of the 1900 block of Mason Street, died at a hospital after a collision at Woodville Road and Varland Avenue in which Minor ran a red light.

The Murphys were headed northeast on Varland when a car traveling southeast on Woodville ran a red light about 12:30 a.m. 

Minor suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the collision, police said.

Two alternative counts of third-degree aggravated vehicular homicide are to be dismissed at sentencing.

WHITING, Ind. — A railroad conductor from Toledo died when he was hit by a train while working in northwest Indiana.

Scott Shoemaker, 57, of the 2200 block of Portsmouth Avenue, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident that was reported at 3:52 a.m. Thursday, along the Norfolk Southern tracks in the Whiting area of East Chicago, Ind.

Local police responding to the scene said Mr. Shoemaker suffered several bodily injuries, including a large head laceration, when he was hit.

According to the report, he was the conductor on an eastbound train that had stopped in an industrial area to allow a westbound train to pass.

In accordance with company practice, Mr. Shoemaker had stepped down from his train’s locomotive to inspect the opposing train for any mechanical or safety problems as it went by.

The engineer on Mr. Shoemaker’s train told police he heard the opposing train sound its horn repeatedly as it approached, and its crew then reported over the radio that they believed they had struck the conductor.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had sent a three-person team to northwest Indiana to investigate the incident and would probably release a preliminary report in about a month.

“We mourn the loss of a valued member of our railroad family,” Norfolk Southern said in a statement. “Our heart goes out to family, friends, and coworkers as they navigate this profound loss. We have connected with the family and are providing support resources to our local employees.

“The safety of our employees and communities is priority number one at Norfolk Southern,” the railroad added. 

Scientists are now able to confirm via satellite that western Lake Erie’s 2026 algal bloom has started to form.

It hasn’t yet, though, become abundant enough to form a mat on the surface, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a bulletin issued Monday afternoon.

The bulletin states that cyanobacteria is being detected by satellite imagery in North Maumee Bay, which is near Toledo and where the bloom often forms. Cyanobacteria is the more precise way to describe what laymen usually just call algae.

“The bloom appears to be slow to develop,” NOAA said.

This particular form of algae, known as microcystis, produces the toxin known as microcystin, which can sicken humans and animals.

NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor has confirmed through water samples there are presently low concentrations of dissolved microcystin, but that particulate microcystin is still below detection level.

Maumee residents will vote in November on a proposed charter amendment that would allow elected city officials to be recalled from office.

City council voted 5-2 during a regular meeting Monday to put a proposed charter amendment before voters in November. If passed, it would add a recall mechanism to the charter, allowing citizens to remove elected officials from office. 

The proposed charter amendment provides that any elected or appointed council member or mayor may be removed or recalled from office by the electors by the following procedure:

● A petition for the removal or recall of an elected or appointed council member or mayor, with a statement of the grounds for removal or recall in not more than 200 words, may be circulated once in any calendar year within a circulation period not to exceed 90 days, and shall be filed with the clerk of council.

● For the petition to be sufficient, it shall be signed by at least 25 percent of the total number of electors voting at the last regular municipal election.

● Within 10 days after the filing day, the clerk forwards the timely filed petition to the Board of Elections to determine whether it meets the signature requirements. If the board finds the petition insufficient, the clerk shall notify the petitioner that their petition has been rejected.

● If the board finds the petition sufficient, the clerk shall promptly deliver a copy of such certificate to the council member or mayor whose removal is sought and shall make a record of the delivery.

● If such council member or mayor does not resign within five days after the delivery, the election authorities shall thereupon fix a day for holding the recall election at the next general election occurring more than 90 days after the expiration of those five days.

● No petition to remove or recall an elected official shall be circulated or filed within one year after a council member or mayor takes office.

● No more than three elected officials may be recalled or removed in a general election. If more than three petitions are circulated, the first three petitions filed and certified shall be presented to the electors at the next general election as defined by the Ohio Revised Code.

● The election authorities shall publish notice and make all arrangements for holding the election, which shall be conducted, with the result returned and declared in all respects as are the results of regular municipal elections.

● The nomination of candidates shall be made, without the intervention of a primary election, by filing with the election authorities, at least 60 days before such general election, a petition signed by electors equal in number to 10 percent of the total votes cast at the most recent regular municipal election for the head of the ticket.

Councilman Gabriel Barrow, who along with Councilman Ted Kurt voted against the measure, said after the meeting that he “wanted the language clarified as far as the petitions collected, how long they’re good for, and whether they can be used at the next general election,” but he didn’t get a chance to ask the question.

During the brief discussion before the vote, Mr. Kurt expressed doubts about the part stipulating that no petition to remove or recall an elected official shall be circulated or filed within one year after the official takes office, saying he believed it could be more specific and cover more scenarios.

By contrast, Councilman Dave Poeppelmeier said after the meeting that he believed the language is clear and that councilmen had ample chance to tweak it to their satisfaction.   

“As Americans, we should have the right to remove elected officials as we see fit,” Mr. Poeppelmeier said.

Karla Lewis, a member of the Charter Review Advisory Commission that recommended the measure’s approval, said its language is based on the experience of surrounding communities such as Toledo, Perrysburg, and Sylvania.

The language took about six months to put together, she said.

In July, 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated a petitioned recall of Maumee’s mayor and six councilmen because the city’s charter contains no procedure for a recall election.

In other business, council gave first reading to an ordinance authorizing the creation of a special revenue fund, Maumee Community Cares Utility Assistance, which would accept donations supporting customers experiencing financial difficulty paying water and sewer bills.

The fund is modeled on one in Columbus, which has a revenue fund for that purpose.

A memorial gathering at the Weiler Homes apartments turned tragic early Monday when 17-year-old Zayona Jackson was fatally shot.

Swayvone Morgan, 23, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting. 

Police responded to a report of shots fired at 1:13 a.m. in the 1100 block of Artis Place at the complex, where they found Zayona suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center, where she died. 

Residents said the crowd had gathered for an annual memorial for a young man.

“It’s been about five or six years since he’s been gone, so every year the family comes out here and barbecues, and it’s never any trouble,” Sonya McKinley said.

Ms. McKinley and others described Zayona as a smart young girl with a bright future and said she was surrounded by people who cared about her. 

Ms. McKinley, who has lived in the Weiler Homes since 2009, said she did not know the teenager personally but knew her siblings and recalled seeing the girl shortly before the incident.

“I’m real close with her brother. She has a lot of siblings, and a lot of them were out here last night when it happened. I saw her yesterday, quite a few times,” she said.

“It was a fight between a whole bunch of girls. I heard a girl with a baby had got jumped on,” she recalled.

After shots rang out, Ms. McKinley said she watched as paramedics performed life-saving measures in an effort to save Zayona’s life.

“I took a little video when I came out here. They were doing CPR on her,” she said.

Neighbor Tevin Brown, 34, said the shooting happened right next door to his apartment while he was away. Mr. Brown said the shooting reminded him how quickly conflicts escalate.

“I’ve been down that path. I’ve done it, but I had to shake it off,” he said.

He urges teens to focus on education and long-term goals instead of letting the neighborhood’s turmoil define their future, warning that even the innocent often suffer from the violence around them.

“Go back to school and get out the streets,” he said.

Another resident, Mesha Hayworth, a nursing student, said the complex has long struggled with violence and a lack of healthy outlets for young people. She believes many teens are acting out of pain and frustration and need places where they can safely gather and be heard.

Ms. Hayworth said change starts with learning to manage emotions before situations escalate.

“I would say learn how to control your emotions,” Ms. Hayworth said. “You will never make it far. You have dreams of being [more], you have to learn how to control your emotions.”

Ms. Hayworth said she is determined to pursue education and build a different life, even as she remains clear-eyed about the challenges in Weiler Homes. 

Despite the violence, she sees potential in her neighbors that often goes unnoticed.

“I tell you, it’s kings and queens all through here,” Ms. Hayworth said. “That’s the positive part.”

The death marks the city of Toledo’s 14th homicide so far this year.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call or text the Crime Stopper program at 419-255-1111. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward.

SALUTE Storytellers, a group of self-advocates who write and perform stories about their developmental disabilities to foster positive social change, will host a public performance on Sunday.

The event closes out a workshop series that began in June.

Hosted by the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the workshops and performance are designed to provide a safe, supportive space for participants to share their experiences.

The performance begins at 2 p.m. at the Toledo Zoo’s Malawi Event Center. A reception will follow.

Zoo admission is not required to attend. Guests should park at the Anthony Wayne parking lot and let the main gate know you are here for the SALUTE performance.

The thud of basketballs against concrete and sounds of children jumping and playing in the pool filled the air in a North Toledo park Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, hot dogs sizzled on a grill and a boy asked for popsicles beneath the shade of a tree at Wilson Park during one of many neighborhood events organized by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

The city initiative is part of a broader effort to address the root causes of gun violence in Toledo that uses outreach specialists and what it calls violence interrupters.

“[I love] seeing families smile and have a sense of hope,” said Raymond Campos, commissioner of Save Our Community, a community violence and intervention program that is part of MONSE. “Just seeing what the city parks are doing as well, just engaging our young people and being preventative with violence within the community.”

Mr. Campos supervises MONSE’s violence interrupters and ensures they are engaging with the community and participants in the program. Each paid violence interrupter is assigned a caseload of young residents who are deemed at risk for participating in gun violence.

Violence interrupters aim to steer youth away from a path of violence using methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and restorative justice practices and by partnering with local organizations. 

The program currently serves approximately 125 individuals. 

Events like Monday’s pool barbecue are one of the ways violence interrupters meet the young people in the community and connect with those already on their caseload.

Whenever Mr. Campos sees a new face, he said he starts by simply approaching them. 

“[I say] ‘Hey, how you doing? Thank you for showing up today. What brings you here? Tell me a little bit about where you go to school. What are you interested in?’” he said.

He often talks with youths as they dribble a basketball or throw a football, he said.

Mr. Campos himself was impacted by gun violence growing up and said his job is an opportunity to give back. 

“Growing up in poverty, I was exposed to a significant amount of violence and trauma, but somebody believed in me, somebody connected with me,” Mr. Campos said. “So I have been committed to doing the same thing with young people.”

Pointing to a tree in the park, Mr. Campos said, “Somebody years and years ago planted this tree, and now we’re protected from the sun because somebody invested in this.”

Just as someone had cared for the tree, Mr. Campos wants to care for young people in his community, he explained.

Donna Malone, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, helped pass out gun locks and gun safety pamphlets during the barbecue. She said attendees were grateful to have them, noting that many divorced mothers were eager to make sure that the fathers of their children had locks for their weapons. 

“For the kids, it’s good that they see community members who are concerned about them and that they have a face and a name if they have a problem,” Ms. Malone said.

Others see that connection as the most important outcome of the MONSE events.

“I’ve seen it the most this summer: the wanting, the yearning to have a connection,” said Kyamerah Hughes, a pool manager at the park and member of the Young Leaders Collective.

She said she loves watching the children splash and dive into the water, large smiles plastered on their faces, and helping them draw on the sidewalk with chalk.

For Ms. Hughes, the solution to gun violence lies in moments like that — in talking to people and drawing with chalk.

“I really think just living in it, being there with them is really important,” she said. “That’s what keeps me here.”

Daniel Kraus, who in May won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Angel Down, is excited about one thing when he meets Toledo readers Thursday.  

“I’m always looking forward to the questions, seeing if there will be different types of questions,” the Chicago-based author said. “Sometimes in different parts of the country the questions are different.”

He will be at the Main Library in downtown Toledo from 7 to 8 p.m. as part of the library’s Authors! series.

With director Guillermo del Toro, Mr. Kraus co-authored The Shape of Water based on the same idea the two created for the film that won four Academy Awards in 2018.

In Angel Down, five soldiers encounter a fallen angel on the battlefield in what Pulitzer judges called “a breathless novel of World War I, a stylistic tour-de-force that blends such genres as allegory, magical realism, and science fiction into a cohesive whole, told in a single sentence.”

His new novel, The Sixth Nik, takes an entirely different approach with a galaxy-spanning adventure about a spaceship called the Sickness and a 9-year-old protagonist who, among other things, conducts her own eye surgery.

Listed as horror, science fiction, mystery, and space fiction, Mr. Kraus said the jump between and among genres is deliberate.

“That’s sort of by design,” he said. “I sort of try to not ever be limited by the bounds of the genre. I’m moderately aware of what I’m doing.”

The Sixth Nik is first and foremost a space opera, a subgenre of science fiction, he said. “It certainly is horrifying, so I can see people calling it horror, but it’s science fiction overall.”

His next published work is a sequel to The Sixth Nik, and that will be followed in 2028 by a Western set in the 1860s directly after the Civil War.  

“I try to steer 180 degrees from what I just finished. That goes a long way toward putting me in the mood to do one thing or another,” Mr. Kraus said. 

The Toledo Lucas County Public Library system has a summer and fall packed with both best-selling and emerging writers.

“The library is very excited to host Daniel Kraus,” said Stephanie Elton, spokesman for the library. “We’re equally excited that he’s the 2026 Pulitzer winner for Angel Down and that he’s here post that accolade.”

On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as part of Romance-Con Presents, the library welcomes Mazey Eddings. A dentist by day, Dr. Eddings has “made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain,” a library release said. 

Romance-Con Presents launched in February with adventure romance writer Jo Segura. Romantasy and romantic comedy authors Lindsey Kelk and Julie Soto appeared in June. 

“The growth of the author fair component told us there’s something there. So the idea for Romance-Con Presents came about,” Ms. Elton said of the annual romance novel convention the library hosts each November.

Registration is open for the Sept. 30 visit to Toledo by USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins, who writes both historical and contemporary romances. Ms. Jenkins’ appearance is part of the library’s America250 events and is expected to sell out. 

“Beverly Jenkins is so regarded,” Ms. Elton said. “She’s a literary legend.”

Other author appearances online and in person in July and August, each beginning at 7 p.m., are:

● July 22: Kelly Rimmer, whose new novel The Story Keeper delves into the art of weaving a dual narrative and a book-within-a-book mystery.

● Aug. 3: Suspense and thriller author Karin Slaughter will discuss The Secrets We Hide. 

● Aug. 19: Author Edward Schmit joins the library’s online romance book club via Zoom to discuss his debut novel, The Open Era, featuring gay tennis players in an enemies-to-lovers story.

● Aug. 27: Horror writer Clay McLeod Chapman will share Devil Inside and how he blends psychological dread and supernatural suspense.

Tickets for Mr. Kraus’ Thursday program are $28.52 and include a copy of The Sixth Nik. Admission for Ms. Eddings’ Saturday program is free, but registration is required.

To find more information or to register, go to toledolibrary.org/authors.

The man who drove a car used in a botched gun sale that ended with a boy’s shooting death last year was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.

While rejecting a defense lawyer’s argument in Lucas County Common Pleas Court that Shamur Hughes deserved a minimum sentence, Judge Lori Olender said he was not as involved in the robbery side of the incident as three others in the car were.

Judge Olender also acknowledged Hughes’ willingness to testify in the recent aggravated murder trial at which a jury convicted two of those co-defendants in sentencing him to eight years for first-degree involuntary manslaughter. Two years for second-degree robbery will be concurrent with that time.

Joseph “JoJo” Johnson, 16, was killed March 4, 2025, when Diamani Lear, 23, a passenger in the car’s back seat, shot him once in the back during what had been arranged as a gun sale in the 900 block of Woodward Avenue.

Judge Olender previously sentenced Omarion Coleman, 23, of Columbus, to 15 years for similar guilty pleas to involuntary manslaughter and robbery. But Coleman, she said Monday, “set the whole thing up” and thus deserved a stiffer sentence.

Garnett Johnson, the boy’s mother, sat quietly in the gallery as Judge Olender pronounced Hughes’ sentence.

While she waived her opportunity to address the court during the hearing, the judge said Ms. Johnson had written her a letter.

Defense lawyer Scott Schwab quoted part of it in arguing for a minimum sentence for Hughes: “I just hope that when he gets out, he takes advantage of that second chance and does better in life.”

She had testified during the recent trial of Diamani Lear and his brother, Delveon, 24, that she had given her son money to buy a video game console, but he instead tried to use it to buy the gun from Coleman to defend himself in a rough neighborhood. The boy had pleaded with her to move the family somewhere else, she testified.

Hughes told the court he was “truly sorry for any role I played” in the boy’s death and plans to better himself in prison. He also said he never expected that giving Coleman a ride, for which he was to be paid $40, would have such consequences.

“I understand I need to be held accountable, but I also ask for fairness and the opportunity to return to society,” he told the judge.

Judge Olender said, however, that she saw nothing in Ms. Johnson’s letter specifically advocating for a minimum sentence, and remarked that Hughes’ repeat appearances in gang-themed rap videos shown during the trial showed he had more than a passing acquaintance with the Lears.

The Lear brothers both face statutory life prison terms when Judge Olender sentences them Thursday, but the judge will have to determine when, if ever, either becomes eligible for parole.

As the only defense witness during the trial, Diamani Lear contended he shot young Johnson because he believed the boy was reaching into the car to take the gun from Coleman’s lap, and, therefore, he was defending the car’s occupants against being shot.

The newest president of the Rotary Club of Toledo understands the significance of her election. 

Candice Harrison became the first African-American and sixth woman to assume the role during the club’s annual Changing of the Guard ceremony on Monday.

Outgoing president Scot Hinshaw swore his successor in before Mrs. Harrison inducted the directors and officers who will serve during the 2026-27 rotary year.

During an address that followed, Mrs. Harrison expressed her gratitude for Mr. Hinshaw’s leadership and acknowledged her family, friends, colleagues, and fellow Delta Sigma Theta sisters who attended the ceremony to support her.

“Today is a deeply humbling but also very meaningful moment for me,” she said. “There was a time when women were not permitted to be Rotary members. There was a time when African-Americans were not welcomed and invited into organizations such as ours. So today is not simply about a leadership transition. It’s about the reflection of how far we’ve come as a club.”

She currently serves as the director of inclusion and community impact at the architecture and engineering firm SSOE, though she has previously held a number of communications roles.

Mrs. Harrison lauded her predecessors for nurturing a club culture that reflects the community it serves. She heralded initiatives such as the Rotary’s push for Universal Pre-K and the day-to-day direct volunteer service to which members devote their time.

The Rotary Club of Toledo gathers “civic-minded business and professional community leaders who meet weekly for fellowship, professional enrichment, and the opportunity for service,” according to its website. Through the Toledo Rotary Club Foundation, the organization distributes grants to community members in need and local development projects.

Ten club directors were sworn into their positions on Monday: Donna Bogan assumed the role of president-elect and Adam Cassi the role of vice president. Also on the new slate of directors are Mari Davies, Julia Hage, Casey Holck, Jane Marie Rahe, Max Reddish, Tracey Ballard Tangeman, Bob Tucker, and Emily Zarecki.

The Toledo Rotary Club Foundation’s 2026-27 trustees — composed of Jim Baehren, Steve Boice, Carol Sobczak, Dick Wolff, and new trustees Stacy Hammer, Michelle Klinger, and Pat Sheehan — also took their oaths of office.

“As I look to the upcoming year, I’m inspired by our Rotary International theme that was set forward by our new Rotary International president, Olayinka Babalola from Nigeria, which is: Create lasting impact,” Mrs. Harrison said. “To me, creating that impact begins with meaningful membership.”

Being a Rotarian, she said, is “about connection, purpose, growth, and service.”

The new president acknowledged the importance of the club’s Service Above Self days, during which members engage in hands-on volunteering projects in the area. Next week, the club will partake in yard work, harvesting, and community work with Mosaic Ministries in the Old Historic South district.

“The Rotary is not just something that we belong to, but it’s something that we actively do,” Mrs. Harrison said. “We will also pursue meaningful and manageable growth. Growth for the sake of growth is not our goal. Our goal is to welcome individuals who are passionate about service, leadership, and community, while creating an environment where current and future members can thrive.”

She added that the club will be more intentional about the way it encourages giving to the Foundation, noting the role that monetary support plays in turning work into action.

“It provides the resources to allow the Rotary here, but also around the world, to improve lives and support communities and address critical needs through grants and service projects,” Mrs. Harrison said. “We have grant recipients come and talk about how we help them and how the grants we’ve given them have helped. That money’s got to come from somewhere.”

Jason Harris, who has been a member of the Rotary for four years and directs its finance committee, described the incoming president as open-minded and willing to listen. 

Mrs. Harrison is also community-oriented, said Amerah Archer, a new Rotarian who said she has received a warm welcome from the organization’s members.

“She knows people across all sectors and organizations in the city,” Ms. Archer said. “She has been in leadership for a lot of different other nonprofit organizations. She was honored by the YWCA for her volunteerism.”

Brooklynn Harrison, Mrs. Harrison’s 18-year-old daughter, said her mother has engaged in community service in myriad ways, including direct service and in her community-centered role at SSOE.

Before Mrs. Harrison delivered her remarks on stage, her daughter said, she did not know that her mother was going to serve as the club’s first African-American president.

“It definitely made me proud,” she said.

A phone call brought Zakiyyah Triplett’s world crashing down. 

“I got a call June 30 that my son was displaying unusual behavior since the 24th of June,” Ms. Triplett said. 

The South Toledo resident’s son, Aziz Greene, was an inmate at Toledo Correctional Institution. Greene had been serving time since 2023 after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. He is expected to be released in 2028. 

“I started asking questions about why was I not informed that they said he was nonverbal and decompensating. ... He wasn’t able to respond to commands, shake his head, or answer any questions,” Ms. Triplett said.  

Ms. Triplett said she had just talked to her son two days before she was being told his condition began to worsen. Greene, 25, was about to be headed back to general population after time in solitary confinement. He had asked when she was coming to see him. 

His mother said he had been having issues with guards, and she was concerned about his well-being. She described a situation in which her son was pepper-sprayed in the shower by a female guard, who, she said, accused Greene of exposing himself to her.

JoEllen Smith, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction chief of communications, confirmed that in April, Greene was issued a conduct report for violating Rules 3.5, 3.6, and 5.2, which are nonexhibitionist seductive or obscene acts, indecent exposure, and disobedience of a direct order, respectively.  

“He was found not guilty of these rule violations during the rules infraction board hearing,” Ms. Smith said.

But Greene’s family did not forget the incident.  

“What happened between Monday and Wednesday that my son is no longer able to talk?” Ms. Triplett said. “They were like ‘Well things like this happen with young men.’ I’m like things don’t just happen.”

Over the last couple weeks, Ms. Triplett has gone on a journey to find out more information about what happened, which she said has been difficult. She has contacted Toledo Correctional Institution and the state of Ohio, which runs Toledo Correctional through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. 

Greene has since been transferred to Warren Correctional Institution in southern Ohio, which has a specialized unit dedicated to delivering mental health services and crisis care. 

Ms. Triplett’s most recent update was that Greene is recovering and can speak again, and she has spoken to him by phone. Still, his mother is left with unanswered questions.

She and her family want to know what caused Greene’s sudden deterioration and why he became nonverbal. 

Attempts to visit him were not successful, including a trip to the prison near Lebanon, Ohio, that resulted in doctors telling her that Greene seemed “out of it.” She was told he was “refusing” to come down, which was out of character. 

Ms. Triplett says seeing her son is all her family wants to do.

“I am hoping he is in good health when I’m seeing him,” said Darlene Mayes, Greene’s grandmother, who is his co-emergency contact with Ms. Triplett.

Matters of policy  

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction has strict rules and regulations about disclosures of medical information for incarcerated persons, which it refers to as IPs. 

“It is the policy of the ODRC to ensure restricted access to, safekeeping, and confidentiality of medical, mental health, and recovery service records,” the state department says in policy language that is accessible online.

Ms. Smith confirmed that medical information regarding an incarcerated person is not public but added that staff at Warren Correctional are in regular communication with Greene’s family.   

The state also has a next-of-kin notification policy, much of which is predicated on formal admission to a hospital for inpatient care.

Greene’s family has greater concerns with how this policy is set up and why they were notified when they were notified. 

For example, Ms. Mayes had a scheduled visit with Greene on June 25 that was canceled by the prison. The family said that they could have been notified at this time of Greene’s condition but were not. 

Ms. Smith said that Greene was never admitted to an outside hospital, so next of kin was not notified. Next of kin was notified when he was transferred between facilities, per the policy. 

The state further clarified that Greene was taken to an outside hospital but was returned the same day and was not admitted. The transfer to Warren then happened the following day. 

Outside help 

To aid their cause, the family is bringing in Gerald Rose, the Toledo native, activist, and founder of the Atlanta-based New Order National Human Rights Organization, which is “dedicated to protecting, defending, and advancing human and civil rights for all people,” according to its website.

Mr. Rose has been involved in all kinds of issues in Toledo and around the country over the years, including the shooting of Terrell Carter, Jr., by Toledo police last summer and the death of Sandra Bland in a Texas jail cell in 2015. 

“We just feel that something has happened. ... The family is feeling that because he is not acting himself,” Mr. Rose said of Greene.   

He said his organization frequently receives complaints about inadequate medical care in prisons.

“I am very concerned because inmates do have rights,” Mr. Rose said. “We know jail isn’t a hotel, but inmates do have rights because if you’ve been convicted of a crime, you’re still human at the end of the day.”  

He said a letter from his organization to the warden of the Toledo Correctional Institution was sent last week. It requests a written timeline of events, records of staff interactions and medical interventions between June 22 and June 24, and Greene’s medical records for that period.

Mr. Rose said he will come to Toledo to hold a news conference in front of the North Toledo prison. That is planned for Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Mr. Rose said people in prison need someone to advocate for them, and he tries to be that voice. 

“If you don’t have an outside voice, you are in trouble,” he said. “That is why they call my organization to be an advocate and to be a spokesman for their loved one.”

NAPOLEON — A July 3 liquid fertilizer spill that apparently was not fully contained resulted in a large fish kill in the Maumee River during the weekend.

The spill originated in the Holgate, Ohio, area near Huston Creek.

Crews traced it back to Tri-Way Nitrogen LLC, which operates out of Farmers Elevator Associates at 18873 County Road H.

Nick Nye, Henry County Emergency Management Agency director, said Monday the two companies were immediately responsive and brought in contractors to create earthen dams to contain and remove the pollution.

“They supplied the dirt and the resources,” Mr. Nye said.

But that apparently didn’t work.

On July 5, the primary dam failed. But a secondary dam was holding back contamination. So the Henry County Engineer’s Office had a contractor bring in more dirt to stabilize that dam and to build another, Mr. Nye said.

“Mitigation was ongoing through the week and progressing pretty well with vac trucks and water tankers hauling as well as other practices,” Mr. Nye said.

But when the Henry County area got socked with heavy rain this past Saturday, all three dams were breached.

Liquid fertilizer escaped from the creek. It flowed into the Maumee River at County Roads Z and 15, Mr. Nye said.

Its ammonia content was high enough to suck oxygen out of the water, thereby killing many fish.

Andy Chow, Ohio Department of Natural Resources spokesman, said Monday afternoon that the agency’s Division of Wildlife, after doing a formal assessment of the event, has concluded that 18,000 to 20,000 fish were killed along 11 miles of the Maumee River. 

“The fish species ranged between 3-inch sunfish to 40-inch plus grass carp,” Mr. Chow said.

He said the agency was notified about the fish kills at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Mr. Nye said he was informed about the fish carcasses by the Napoleon Fire Department, which said witnesses had spotted them near Meyerholtz Park just east of the Perry Street Bridge. 

“The ammonia itself does not kill the fish,” Chad Lulfs, acting Napoleon city manager, said Monday. “Once ammonia enters water, bacteria in the water starts to consume the ammonia. During this process, the dissolved oxygen in the water is also consumed. Without dissolved oxygen in the water, fish cannot ‘breathe.’ The fish are essentially suffocating.”

As a precaution, the city has been drawing raw water from the Wauseon Reservoir on a temporary basis, not the Maumee River. The highest test result for ammonia in Maumee River near Napoleon is 2.8 mg/liter, well below the threshold of 50 mg/liter deemed unsafe for humans. But the city will continue to draw from the backup reservoir “to help assure everyone that there is no contamination in the City of Napoleon’s drinking water,” officials said.

“We will continue to draw from the reservoir until the OEPA assures us that the contamination has been corrected,” Mr. Lulfs said.

Bryant Somerville, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokesman, also said that Saturday’s heavy rain caused the dams to fail.

Officials from Tri-Way Nitrogen and Farmers Elevator Associates could not be reached. Mr. Somerville said both firms have been identified as responsible parties.

“The combination of rainwater and spilled liquid fertilizer reached the Maumee River, causing the fish kill,” he said.

Ohio EPA records show that the two companies have been cited separately for the July 3 spill.

“The contaminant release negatively impacted waters of the state,” both of the violations state.

Mr. Somerville said an environmental contractor has reinstalled containment points, and has restarted aeration “to capture any remaining material that might still make its way into the creek.”